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Starting in the late 1700s, the United States gradually established itself as a nation that was heavily reliant on slavery because of the Southern plantation-based economy. As the nation developed, some people such as Quakers were against slavery because of their religious belief, while other people gradually moved over to the abolitionist side in the early to mid-1800s. The growing opposition to slavery was due to increasing sectionalism, the consistent deferring of the discussion about slavery to a later date, and the use of propaganda. The increasing sectionalism that resulted from specialization, led to the northern region of the country to legally create emancipation laws as early as 1777. In document one, there is a partial map of the United States that nine states and the Northwest Territory. All 10 of those places had a law put into place that required either immediate emancipation or gradual emancipation of slaves. This is understandable because there was not a plantation-based economy in the North like there was in the South. Since there was not the same belief that slave labor was a necessity in the North compared to the South, some version of emancipation was much more reasonable. In addition to that, in document two, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1783 argued that “[the Constitution states that] all men are born free and equal” which emphasizes the belief that “[The Constitution] is totally repugnant to the idea of being born slaves”. This case known as Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Nathaniel Jennison highlighted the general northern perspective on slavery that existed in 1783. Although this ruling theoretically was possible anywhere in the United States, because of the Southern reliance on slavery, it did not happen in the South.
The increase in Northern states with some kind of emancipation combined with their belief the Constitution condemned slavery, led to the growing opposition to slavery. The United States was very divided regarding the topic of slavery, and so the discussions of how to handle it were deferred for the first decades of existence; however, that only led to the issue intensifying. The issue of when to discuss slavery on a national level was heavily disputed and even lead to the passing of the gag rule, a law stating that abolition of slavery would not be discussed until 1844, in 1836. Document four highlights how people even attempted to appeal to various groups like southern Christian women. Angelina Grimké shared her perspective on slavery and how Christian women should try to get their families to send petitions against slavery to legislatures with a humanitarian appeal about the quality of life for slaves.
The Second Great Awakening was occurring while Grimké shared her beliefs, and so aspects of the way people spoke to invigorate a crowd is evident in her appeal, especially in the last sentence of the document. Despite her urging people to send petitions to legislatures, the gag rule was passed in the same year as Grimké’s appeal, highlighting that no matter how deeply devoted someone was to the cause, nothing would happen for a few years. Years later, in 1850, John C. Calhoun, a United States pro-slavery senator and former vice president, addressed the United States Senate sharing how he believed the nation would split because of slavery. In document six, Calhoun shares that the political parties have failed to prevent the United States from having a huge divide over slavery and that the nation is in danger because of it. Despite numerous appeals, emancipation in some states, and abolitionist propaganda, the South was unwilling to compromise which further strengthened the growing opposition to slavery.
The tool of propaganda and encouraging awareness of what was occurring and/or available strengthened the growing abolitionist movement. For example, document five is an excerpt of the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, a runaway slave who publically shared his story in 1845. Frederick Douglass shared how he violently resisted to a white overseer because of the pain he experienced regularly. Douglass’ vulnerable experience which gave him the confidence to boldly defy, and eventually escape, is a powerful story that was shared as his autobiography spread. Tales like Douglass’ strengthened the abolitionist movement. Later, in 1851, just a year after the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed forbidding people from aiding runaway slaves, document seven is a street poster Theodore Parker, an abolitionist, created warning colored people that people will try to kidnap them and that they should always remain alert, regardless of whether or not they were a runaway slave. Parker’s poster draws attention towards the group of people who wanted to help the abolitionist movement by aiding runaway slaves, but also knew they had to avoid being caught.
A piece of propaganda used by the abolitionist movement that was very notable and was read internationally was Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book that told the stories of many former slaves and emphasized the evils of slavery. Document eight, a poster advertising Uncle Tom’s Cabin in the late 1850s, describes it as “The greatest book of the age”, with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. Uncle Tom’s cabin was published initially in 1852, and overall was an extremely important book for the abolitionist cause because it was a response to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The abolitionist cause’s use of propaganda dramatically strengthened the growing resistance to slavery. Increasing sectionalism, the consistent deference of the discussion about abolition, and the use of propaganda contributed to the growing opposition to slavery. Before this time period, slavery was legally permitted everywhere in what was then the colonies because they were still under British rule, and Britain allowed slavery. As the nation developed, states in the north gradually set some type of law against slavery in place. This growing opposition to slavery, particularly in the North, and the pressure on the South to abolish slavery despite how dependent its economy was on slavery, highlights the internal divide in the United States and hints to the upcoming civil war.
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